One in two Staffordshire citizens use TikTok, new data suggests
Staffordshire Council can plan its future digital services and communications with more accuracy thanks to a new online tool created tech firm, FourNet.
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The data contained in the Local Authority Digital Transformation Index (LADiT) shows that over half of residents of Staffordshire are likely to use their phones to access council services and information.
Nearly half, 47% - which is more than the national average - still use landlines.
Those who are likely to make in-person visits and use postal services are also higher than the national average at 37% and 38% respectively, which may reflect the fact that just under half of the population of Staffordshire are over 45 and haven’t grown up with digital skills.
Half of residents are likely to use TikTok, and 44% to use Snapchat and might use those platforms to contact their council, if that service was offered.
Overall, the Index suggests that people living in Staffordshire are familiar with a wide range of social platforms and the county council will increasingly need to utilise digital platforms when it comes to communicating with younger generations - investing in the latest communications tech.
Alan Linter, FourNet’s Group Consulting Director of Customer Experience, said: “With local authority budgets under pressure, Staffordshire Council will benefit from this analysis when considering the next steps in its digital transformation journey - or any future local government reorganisation in the county.
“What our LADiT Index reveals is the make-up of local populations with data which will be critical for councils to take into account when deciding how to invest in tech and designing their services.
“There is a huge difference in the way the majority of people interact with council services across the UK from the top of our index to the bottom - and Staffordshire Council will be able to use that data to understand their needs and plan for future investments better.”
UK councils are the backbone of local governance, managing £121.7 billion in budgets, supporting over 1.3m employees and providing services to nearly 60 million people.
Understanding the needs of citizens and optimising their customer journey when accessing local services is crucial to local authorities - and FourNet’s new LADiT Index provides key data for that purpose which will furnish digital transformation plans for the future.
